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Archive for February, 2013

There are many lending practices which have been called abusive and labeled with the term “predatory lending.” There is a great deal of dispute between lenders and consumer groups as to what exactly constitutes “unfair” or “predatory” practices, but the following are sometimes cited.
Unjustified risk-based pricing. This is the practice of charging more (in the form of higher interest rates and fees) for extending credit to borrowers identified by the lender as posing a greater credit risk. The lending industry argues that risk-based pricing is a legitimate practice; since a greater percentage of loans made to less creditworthy borrowers can be expected to go into default, higher prices are necessary to obtain the same yield on the portfolio as a whole. Some consumer groups argue that higher prices paid by more vulnerable consumers cannot always be justified by increased credit risk.[7]
Single-premium credit insurance. This is the purchase of insurance which will pay off the loan in case the homebuyer dies. It is more expensive than other forms of insurance because it does not involve any medical checkups, but customers almost always are not shown their choices, because usually the lender is not licensed to sell other forms of insurance. In addition, this insurance is usually financed into the loan which causes the loan to be more expensive, but at the same time encourages people to buy the insurance because they do not have to pay up front.
Failure to present the loan price as negotiable.[7] Many lenders will negotiate the price structure of the loan with borrowers. In some situations, borrowers can even negotiate an outright reduction in the interest rate or other charges on the loan. Consumer advocates argue that borrowers, especially unsophisticated borrowers, are not aware of their ability to negotiate and might even be under the mistaken impression that the lender is placing the borrower’s interests above its own. Thus, many borrowers do not take advantage of their ability to negotiate.[7]
Failure to clearly and accurately disclose terms and conditions, particularly in cases where an unsophisticated borrower is involved. Mortgage loans are complex transactions involving multiple parties and dozens of pages of legal documents. In the most egregious of predatory cases, lenders or brokers have been not only misled borrowers but also actually altered documents after they have been signed.

O’ Parama Purusa, on that very dark night when a big thunderstorm was raging, I was crying alone in the deep forest. Nobody was there to talk to – to console me – to understand the tale of my suffering. Nobody was nearby. Certainly You were there along with me, but I could not feel Your presence.

In the height of that wild storm big branches were breaking off from the trees and crashing down on the ground. And all those tender buds and beautiful flowers were also completely blown off from the limbs of the trees; those buds and flowers were wailing loud lamentations; the trees were crying bitterly. That very dark, horrendous night was so disastrous.

O’ Parama Purusa, after this dark, menacing storm passes, and a soft, gentle breeze is in the air, will You please come in the madhuvan [1] of my mind, in my mental garden, with Your sweet, attractive form?…

NOTE FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #3199:

[1] Madhuvan: Literally meaning “sweet forest”; But it refers to that remote, isolated, garden in the mind that is filled with spring blossoms, sweet fragrance, aromatic flowers, and a gentle & fragrant breeze. It is that tranquil mental abode where nobody is present except the devotee and the Lord. And there the bhakta and Parama Purusa sit together ensconced in that very divinely intoxicated atmosphere and they share the loving feeling of their heart in a very close, intimate, and loving way.

== STORY: INCURRING DEBT RUINS MENTAL PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP ==

Namaskar,
This letter contains an in-depth Baba story with His critical and detailed guidelines about borrowing and lending money. This is very practical knowledge for us all to have as we may find ourselves in this position one day soon.

Do we lend money to those in need, or not?

Read below to get Baba’s pointed guideline and convey His unique message to others in your unit and community.

ANANDA MARGA: OPPOSITE OF CAPITALISM

The present era of materialism preaches “instant gratification”: Enjoy the world by buying happiness. Credit cards and loans are readily available to the common person. Indeed lending agencies and credit card companies are standing by with astronomical interest rates in order to rip off consumers. It is a deadly cycle; already so many have been victimised.

In Ananda Marga, our view is diametrically opposite. We interact with this world for our daily needs and aim our mind towards psychic and psycho-spiritual pursuits. We seek happiness and peace in those upper realms, not in the instant gratification of worldly indulgences. We know this, we practice this, but even then some in our Marga have gotten bound by the noose of capitalism.

But there is no winning in capitalism. Only those top capitalists derive some selfish benefit. The common public just borrows and spends money on material allurements hoping to find happiness; but ultimately they find themselves upset, frustrated and in debt. All the while, the impoverished masses around the globe suffer from an extreme dearth of resources, which have been gobbled up by those capitalists.

So we should not fall prey to the capitalist cycle of borrowing and spending. Please read this following Baba story about this very subject.

BABA STORY:

GUIDELINES ON FINANCIAL DEALING

Baba was against people borrowing or lending money. One day He said, “You must know that lending as well as borrowing is undesirable and detestable.”

I had known Baba’s attitude and so had always tried not to borrow money. But I still had a question, “Was it so bad to lend money to someone in distress?”

Baba answered with an illustration. “Do you know why it isn’t desirable to lend out money? Suppose someone has come to you to borrow some money. Maybe his need is genuine and his appeal is justified. As you listen to his story of distress, you are likely to want to be kind to him. Even if it is beyond your own means to lend a big amount, you become so upset thinking of his dire need that you take pity on him. Your thoughts get interrupted as the gentleman says, ‘You need not worry, dear brother. Please help me wriggle out of my crisis. If your generosity can take me out the present crisis, I’ll repay the loan within a month. Meanwhile I’m likely to get some money soon, so you may rest assured that you’ll get back your money on time.'”

Baba continued, “There may be no reason for you to disbelieve him. Suppose you are soft-hearted, so you collect the money somehow and hand it over to him. And he, too, feels glad and goes away.”

“That man may not have any intention of taking you for a ride, but it may turn out that he can’t get hold of the money as he thought. It is not so unusual. But you go on nursing the hope that he will repay you at the end of the month.”

“A month goes by. He hesitates to see you out of his shame because he has no money to repay to you. Suppose you go to him out of need for the money. In all likelihood he will be ill at ease and may take offense at your uncalled-for-presence. He will think, ‘How disgusting! He has come to me straightaway.’ Understandably, he will tell you a long excuse about why he has failed to repay you. You will give a patient hearing to him and coming back home begin to wait for the deadline as promised. There will be times when you come across him on the street. Immediately, he will think ‘O, my God! Here he is again, he will certainly remind me of my debt!'”

“Of course it’s only natural such thoughts come to mind, interspersed with some inaudible abusive remarks. Maybe you didn’t go to him for money, but what is that to him? Your presence will be unpleasant enough.”

“So whenever you meet him, he will think, ‘I am lost! He has come again to pressure me for that money.’ At the same time he will hurl some unsavory remarks at you, albeit silently. Contrary to what is in his mind, he will say, ‘Welcome, my dear brother. I am glad to meet you. I am so grateful to you,’ and so on and so forth.

“Undoubtedly the moment he sees you, he will heap uncharitable remarks on you, but when you will come within earshot, he will be all praises an parade his respect for you. It goes without saying that you will be put into a dilemma from not getting your money back even at the time of your own dire need. It may happen that your need will drive you to his house and shout from outside, ‘Hello, Mr.—-, are you there?’

“He will think, ‘Oh! he has come again for the money. What will I say to him?’

“Thinking this, he will not only silently curse you, but also try his best to avoid an encounter with you. Instead of coming outside, he will tell his little son to tell you that his father is out. Accordingly, the boy will run to you to inform you that his father is not in.

“Looking askance at him, you will say, ‘Go inside and find out for certain whether or not your father is there.’ The simple-minded child will reply, ‘Why, I don’t need to check because father has himself said that he is out.’ In this way your relationship with that friend will sour and you don’t know where it will end.”

“Well, he certainly would have been offended that first day if you had not lent him money. Not only that, he would possibly have been shocked and have silently heaped some abusive remarks. Nevertheless, the unpleasant situation would not have spilt over onto the rest of your life. If you lend money, you will inevitably invite filthy remarks galore. That is why a person should think many times before lending to others.”

I asked, “Sometimes a really good man may fall into trouble and sincerely need help. In that case, what is to be done?”

Baba said, “Instead of lending him money, you should help him according to your capacity. Suppose he is asking for five thousand rupees. Tell him your attitude about lending money and let him know your financial condition. Then help him with an amount that’s within your means. It may not be as much as he demands, but he will get consolation that you tried to share his difficulties.” (“My Days with Baba”, Sarveshvarananda)

The above story is quite clear on the point of borrowing and lending. According to Baba, we should not borrow money nor should we lend it. If anyone truly needs financial help, then we should give them money according to our capacity, and not expect anything in return.

BABA’S FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Here are some of His further teachings about this very critical topic.

First Baba warns us that we should seek counsel and permission before (a) spending money on superfluous items and (b) before taking any loan.

Ananda Marga Philosophy says, “I am also giving one more advice in regard to aparigraha. If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their ácárya, unit secretary or district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender. Where one’s own ácárya or any person of responsible rank is not easily available, consultation or rather permission is to be obtained from any other ácárya, táttvika or any right-thinking member of the Marga. Every member should follow this instruction strictly.” (1)

Secondly, Baba warns us how money lending itself is a filthy profession. We should keep such greedy persons at arms-length.

Prout says, “People’s means of liveliood should not depend on the quarrel of individuals, as in the case of lawyers. Lawyers usually set one person against another and in this way they serve their personal interests. Similarly no one should be a trader in religion, because in the name of religion, many people are exploited. Nor should one earn one’s livelihood by dealing with dead bodies because such people want more and more people to die, so that they may thereby increase their income. People should also not earn their livelihood by lending money and taking interest. Such persons want to lend more and more money to gain more and more interest, and they do not want the borrowers to refund the capital. The scriptures stipulate that people should not accept food from such people, because their occupations are despicable.” (2)

Over the course of history – in so many lands – money lenders have exploited people to the bone and taken all they had. This has happened not only with the farmers of Bengal depicted below but in so many regions and eras, including in the present day US where countless innocent families are losing their homes because they are unable to pay the money / mortgage they owe.

“Another group of exploiters emerged who took advantage of the poverty of the farmers. These were the moneylenders, who lent money to the farmers at exorbitant rates of interest. The farmers were forced to take loans which they could never repay, so they mortgaged their lands. Eventually the moneylenders became the owners of the farmers’ lands, and the farmers were thus converted into landless labourers… moneylending by private capitalists should be banned and provisions must be made to pay loans in advance to the farmers through the banks. This will eradicate the exploitation by moneylenders and political cadres.” (3)

SUMMARY

We should all exercise extreme caution in our financial dealings. This era of extreme capitalism has devoured the lives of many – leaving them as desperate beggars unable to regain their footing. We must not let this happen to us or anyone we know. We should remain out of debt and keep our mind free for psycho-spiritual endeavors. That is the only way. Remember, one in debt becomes mentally bound by this financial burden as well.

Thus no one in Ananda Marga should make a living by lending money and no Ananda Margii should go into any sort of debt without first getting clear-cut permission from respected members of our Marga.

By following Baba’s guidelines, we can maintain our psychic equilibrium. Going into debt and digging means losing one’s mental peace and becoming a lifelong tool of those greedy capitalists.

MORE ANANDA MARGA GUIDELINES ON THIS TOPIC

WHO IS REALLY HAPPY

“The person who is able to get some vegetables to eat at least once a day, who incurs no debt and who has no need to leave home to earn a living, is really happy.” (4)

DO NOT BORROW TO HOST FEAST

“A marriage feast is completely optional and depends upon the financial capacity of the people concerned. Arranging the feast by taking a loan or incurring a debt is prohibited.” (5)

“For the celebration of this ceremony the arrangement of a social feast depends entirely on the desire and the financial position of the guardians concerned. Taking a loan or incurring a debt for this purpose is forbidden.” (6)

AGAINST YAMA AND NIYAMA

“It is often noticed that individuals incur debt because of their violating the principles of Yama and Niyama, especially due to their extravagance – and as a result, they approach the society for relief. In this connection I must point out that just as the society is duty-bound to give relief to individuals by combined efforts, so also it must have control over the conduct of individuals, over their practice of the principles of Yama and Niyama, and also over their expenditure. Not to consult anybody at the time of spending money but to ask for help from all when in debt, is not a good practice. Such a mentality cannot be encouraged.”
“To purchase, by incurring debt, serge where tweed will do, or gaberdine where serge will do, is surely against the principle of aparigraha. Similarly, people should take food which is nutritious but not rich. They have to give up the practice of feeding others with money taken on loan. That is why social control over the individual’s conduct and expenditure is indispensably necessary. Hence, all Ananda Margis, when they see other Margis acting against the principles of Yama and Niyama, must make them shun this habit either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they will have to make the society strong. Henceforth I direct every Ananda Margi to keep strict vigilance on other Ananda Margi to make them practise the principles of Yama and Niyama and also to accept calmly directions of other Margis in this connection.” (7)

“SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISUSE LOANS”

“You might have noticed that there are many countries which suffer from financial stringency, so they take loans from other countries. These loans are then used for ventures like constructing large dams on their rivers.”
“The science of economics teaches that the rolling of money should never be blocked by any sort of non-productive investment. Sometimes people misuse loans to construct an unnecessary building or a new showroom for their business, and thus prevent the possibility of reinvesting the capital and increasing their wealth. Economics teaches that loans taken for business investment should always be utilized for productive purposes, and should never be utilized in any unproductive venture. Foreign loans, for example, should never be invested in constructing large railway stations instead of railway lines.” (8)

INCURRING BIG DEBT TO MARRY DAUGHTER

“Formerly, even poor families had to sell their property to arrange the obsequies of their departed parents. Nowadays normally such things are rare. In such cases, kriyálopa took place under circumstantial pressure. But the custom of incurring heavy debt and selling one’s property to marry off one’s daughters still continues. Of course, when women become a little more socially-aware and men become a little more conscientious, and if women become economically self-reliant by bringing about a change in the economic structure, this custom of kanyádána = [forced social obligations to marry the daughters with dowry and feasts] will die out. And when the caste system will fully die out, the marriage system will develop in a healthy atmosphere. Many unhealthy customs will vanish from society.” (9)

IMPORTANT ACCOUNT

“In the factories and the rural production centres, the capitalist exploitation of India continues unabated, and the landholders, as the last vestiges of a feudalistic social order, perpetrate their exploitation in the villages. The capitalists and landlords carry on their exploitation hand-in-hand. The survival and social security of the landless labourers depends solely on the whims of the landlords, who can expel the labourers at any time on any pretext.”
“The exploitation by capitalists and landlords is accompanied by the exploitation by moneylenders. In the rural economy they lend money to the farmers and rural peasants, and are present in nearly every village and hamlet of West Bengal. Where the landlords are not physically present, their loyal agents are very active. The moneylenders have nothing to do with the land – they merely give loans to the poor farmers at high interest. Sometimes poor farmers cannot afford to procure farming implements, hence they are compelled to take loans from the moneylenders. If a moneylender gives one hundred rupees to a farmer, the farmer will have to repay two hundred rupees with interest, but the moneylender does not take back the loan in cash. Instead he realizes the amount in kind in the form of paddy, potatoes, etc., at cheap rates at the time of the harvest. The poor farmer, under the pressure of circumstances, has to accept this unwelcome system. He is a double loser – first, he has to pay more than double the amount of the original loan, and secondly, this amount is paid in kind at the rate of the harvest price of the crop, which is naturally very cheap. This whole process is conducted through agents, who also take their profit. Thus, the peasants and farmers of India are deprived of all their agricultural produce in four to five months of the year to repay the moneylenders, so for the remaining seven to eight months they have to approach the moneylenders again for fresh loans. At first they mortgage their implements, and then they are forced to part with their land. When the amount of the loans with compound interest increases to the point where the interest and the mortgage is equal to the price of their land, the moneylenders confiscate the land of the farmers. Consequently, the farmers get evicted from their land and move from village to village, living on the streets as beggars.”
“The direct representatives of the capitalist exploiters in the rural economy are the middlemen. They take advantage of the poverty and distress of the farmers and force them to depend on the capitalists for their production. For example, in West Bengal, Calcutta is the main centre of the capitalists, but of course they have subsidiary centres in various parts of the state. For instance, they have centres in Siliguri in North Bengal, Sainthia in Birbhum district, Purulia town in Purulia district and Midnapore town in Midnapore district. From these centres the capitalists, through their agents and middlemen, control the rural economy of West Bengal. The farmers depend on these middlemen not only to procure farm implements, but also to sell their agricultural produce. They also take advantage of the illiteracy of the simple uneducated farmers, collect their signatures or thumb prints for a larger loan, and pay them less than the market value of their produce.”
“Indian society is basically capitalistic, and the administrative system is a capitalist dominated democracy. It is the capitalists who control and direct the social, economic and political systems of India. The problem of how to remain in power is the most important issue for every political party that comes to power in an election. When political interest is of paramount importance, naturally the government will frame laws to safeguard the interests of the capitalist exploiters. The responsibility of upholding the interests of the exploiters in the name of law and order devolves onto the bureaucracy and police. The political leaders merely engage in internal bickering over their share of the ill-gotten gains.” (10)

“MONEY LENDING, CHARGING EXORBITANT INTEREST” = EXPLOITATION

“There are various types of exploitation in society. The form and character of exploitation changes as per changes in time, place and person. In every era of the social cycle, there are various kinds of exploitation. For example, in the economic sphere there is feudal exploitation, colonial exploitation, capitalist exploitation, imperialist exploitation and fascist exploitation. Exploitation may also manifest in such spheres as the physical, psychic, economic, political and cultural spheres. In the past the slave system was prevalent in the Greek and Roman Empires. The rulers sucked the blood of the vanquished to bolster their own interests. In psychic exploitation, the masses are misled with the help of pseudo-philosophies which encourage dogma and narrowmindedness. Democratic socialism and the theory of peaceful coexistence are examples of the hypocrite’s psychology. In economic exploitation, vested interests deprive people of their minimum requirements. Money lending, charging exorbitant interest rates, compelling poor farmers to sell their produce through distress sales, etc., are examples of economic exploitation. Regardless of the type of exploitation used by the exploiters, when society is moving towards revolution, the role of the exploiters is exposed. The exploiters are unable to disguise their exploitation any longer.” (11)

“Predatory lending is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as “imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers.” Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry. Predatory lending should not be confused with predatory mortgage servicing which is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of lenders and servicing agents during the loan or mortgage servicing process, post loan origination.”
“One less contentious definition of the term is “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.” Other types of lending sometimes also referred to as predatory include payday loans, certain types of credit cards, mainly subprime, or other forms of (again, often subprime) consumer debt, and overdraft loans, when the interest rates are considered unreasonably high. Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, the poor, racial minorities, and the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics.”
“Predatory lending typically occurs on loans backed by some kind of collateral, such as a car or house, so that if the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can repossess or foreclose and profit by selling the repossessed or foreclosed property. Lenders may be accused of tricking a borrower into believing that an interest rate is lower than it actually is, or that the borrower’s ability to pay is greater than it actually is. The lender, or others as agents of the lender, may well profit from repossession or foreclosure upon the collateral.”

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

****************************************
Bengalis and Mahasambhuti

Baba says, “During the war between the Kaoravas and the Pan’davas, the kings of Bengal did not take part. They thought there is no benefit in it.” (Bam’la’r Itiha’s, Ananda Vacanamrtam-10 [Bangla’])

The advent of Mahasambhuti on this planet is a grand event. Of course He does everything according to His divine plan. Those whom He graces work according to His direction and follow the command of Mahasambhuti. Those blessed souls who have a good samskara and strong devotion – and ultimately His grace – work unitedly under His shelter. Whereas those whose samskara is not good or are in a different flow keep themselves away. That is what happened in the Mahabharat era. From Afghanistan and Pakistan to Sri Lanka, and each and every nook and corner of south and north India, all the states including Nepal joined in to cooperate with Lord Krsna’s divine plans and programs. While some like Duryodhana did not support. As Baba says in His above teaching, that time the leaders of Bengal did not support Mahasambhuti.

Something similar is going on these days also as some from Bengal are not supporting. They are disobeying Guru Baba: By their own whim they invented the dogma of mahaprayan and observe it annually. This was never given or approved by Baba.
****************************************

O’ Parama Purusa, on that very dark night when a big thunderstorm was raging, I was crying alone in the deep forest. Nobody was there to talk to – to console me – to understand the tale of my suffering. Nobody was nearby. Certainly You were there along with me, but I could not feel Your presence.

In the height of that wild storm big branches were breaking off from the trees and crashing down on the ground. And all those tender buds and beautiful flowers were also completely blown off from the limbs of the trees; those buds and flowers were wailing loud lamentations; the trees were crying bitterly. That very dark, horrendous night was so disastrous.

O’ Parama Purusa, after this dark, menacing storm passes, and a soft, gentle breeze is in the air, will You please come in the madhuvan [1] of my mind, in my mental garden, with Your sweet, attractive form?…

NOTE FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #3199:

[1] Madhuvan: Literally meaning “sweet forest”; But it refers to that remote, isolated, garden in the mind that is filled with spring blossoms, sweet fragrance, aromatic flowers, and a gentle & fragrant breeze. It is that tranquil mental abode where nobody is present except the devotee and the Lord. And there the bhakta and Parama Purusa sit together ensconced in that very divinely intoxicated atmosphere and they share the loving feeling of their heart in a very close, intimate, and loving way.

== STORY: INCURRING DEBT RUINS MENTAL PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP ==

Namaskar,
This letter contains an in-depth Baba story with His critical and detailed guidelines about borrowing and lending money. This is very practical knowledge for us all to have as we may find ourselves in this position one day soon.

Do we lend money to those in need, or not?

Read below to get Baba’s pointed guideline and convey His unique message to others in your unit and community.

ANANDA MARGA: OPPOSITE OF CAPITALISM

The present era of materialism preaches “instant gratification”: Enjoy the world by buying happiness. Credit cards and loans are readily available to the common person. Indeed lending agencies and credit card companies are standing by with astronomical interest rates in order to rip off consumers. It is a deadly cycle; already so many have been victimised.

In Ananda Marga, our view is diametrically opposite. We interact with this world for our daily needs and aim our mind towards psychic and psycho-spiritual pursuits. We seek happiness and peace in those upper realms, not in the instant gratification of worldly indulgences. We know this, we practice this, but even then some in our Marga have gotten bound by the noose of capitalism.

But there is no winning in capitalism. Only those top capitalists derive some selfish benefit. The common public just borrows and spends money on material allurements hoping to find happiness; but ultimately they find themselves upset, frustrated and in debt. All the while, the impoverished masses around the globe suffer from an extreme dearth of resources, which have been gobbled up by those capitalists.

So we should not fall prey to the capitalist cycle of borrowing and spending. Please read this following Baba story about this very subject.

BABA STORY:

GUIDELINES ON FINANCIAL DEALING

Baba was against people borrowing or lending money. One day He said, “You must know that lending as well as borrowing is undesirable and detestable.”

I had known Baba’s attitude and so had always tried not to borrow money. But I still had a question, “Was it so bad to lend money to someone in distress?”

Baba answered with an illustration. “Do you know why it isn’t desirable to lend out money? Suppose someone has come to you to borrow some money. Maybe his need is genuine and his appeal is justified. As you listen to his story of distress, you are likely to want to be kind to him. Even if it is beyond your own means to lend a big amount, you become so upset thinking of his dire need that you take pity on him. Your thoughts get interrupted as the gentleman says, ‘You need not worry, dear brother. Please help me wriggle out of my crisis. If your generosity can take me out the present crisis, I’ll repay the loan within a month. Meanwhile I’m likely to get some money soon, so you may rest assured that you’ll get back your money on time.'”

Baba continued, “There may be no reason for you to disbelieve him. Suppose you are soft-hearted, so you collect the money somehow and hand it over to him. And he, too, feels glad and goes away.”

“That man may not have any intention of taking you for a ride, but it may turn out that he can’t get hold of the money as he thought. It is not so unusual. But you go on nursing the hope that he will repay you at the end of the month.”

“A month goes by. He hesitates to see you out of his shame because he has no money to repay to you. Suppose you go to him out of need for the money. In all likelihood he will be ill at ease and may take offense at your uncalled-for-presence. He will think, ‘How disgusting! He has come to me straightaway.’ Understandably, he will tell you a long excuse about why he has failed to repay you. You will give a patient hearing to him and coming back home begin to wait for the deadline as promised. There will be times when you come across him on the street. Immediately, he will think ‘O, my God! Here he is again, he will certainly remind me of my debt!'”

“Of course it’s only natural such thoughts come to mind, interspersed with some inaudible abusive remarks. Maybe you didn’t go to him for money, but what is that to him? Your presence will be unpleasant enough.”

“So whenever you meet him, he will think, ‘I am lost! He has come again to pressure me for that money.’ At the same time he will hurl some unsavory remarks at you, albeit silently. Contrary to what is in his mind, he will say, ‘Welcome, my dear brother. I am glad to meet you. I am so grateful to you,’ and so on and so forth.

“Undoubtedly the moment he sees you, he will heap uncharitable remarks on you, but when you will come within earshot, he will be all praises an parade his respect for you. It goes without saying that you will be put into a dilemma from not getting your money back even at the time of your own dire need. It may happen that your need will drive you to his house and shout from outside, ‘Hello, Mr.—-, are you there?’

“He will think, ‘Oh! he has come again for the money. What will I say to him?’

“Thinking this, he will not only silently curse you, but also try his best to avoid an encounter with you. Instead of coming outside, he will tell his little son to tell you that his father is out. Accordingly, the boy will run to you to inform you that his father is not in.

“Looking askance at him, you will say, ‘Go inside and find out for certain whether or not your father is there.’ The simple-minded child will reply, ‘Why, I don’t need to check because father has himself said that he is out.’ In this way your relationship with that friend will sour and you don’t know where it will end.”

“Well, he certainly would have been offended that first day if you had not lent him money. Not only that, he would possibly have been shocked and have silently heaped some abusive remarks. Nevertheless, the unpleasant situation would not have spilt over onto the rest of your life. If you lend money, you will inevitably invite filthy remarks galore. That is why a person should think many times before lending to others.”

I asked, “Sometimes a really good man may fall into trouble and sincerely need help. In that case, what is to be done?”

Baba said, “Instead of lending him money, you should help him according to your capacity. Suppose he is asking for five thousand rupees. Tell him your attitude about lending money and let him know your financial condition. Then help him with an amount that’s within your means. It may not be as much as he demands, but he will get consolation that you tried to share his difficulties.” (“My Days with Baba”, Sarveshvarananda)

The above story is quite clear on the point of borrowing and lending. According to Baba, we should not borrow money nor should we lend it. If anyone truly needs financial help, then we should give them money according to our capacity, and not expect anything in return.

BABA’S FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Here are some of His further teachings about this very critical topic.

First Baba warns us that we should seek counsel and permission before (a) spending money on superfluous items and (b) before taking any loan.

Ananda Marga Philosophy says, “I am also giving one more advice in regard to aparigraha. If any Margis have to spend on anything in addition to the fixed expenditure (for example, expensive clothing, ornaments, articles of furniture, marriage, building, etc.), they should, before incurring such expenditure, obtain a clear order from their ácárya, unit secretary or district secretary, or any other person of responsible rank. Similarly, permission is to be obtained before taking loan from any businessman or money-lender. Where one’s own ácárya or any person of responsible rank is not easily available, consultation or rather permission is to be obtained from any other ácárya, táttvika or any right-thinking member of the Marga. Every member should follow this instruction strictly.” (1)

Secondly, Baba warns us how money lending itself is a filthy profession. We should keep such greedy persons at arms-length.

Prout says, “People’s means of liveliood should not depend on the quarrel of individuals, as in the case of lawyers. Lawyers usually set one person against another and in this way they serve their personal interests. Similarly no one should be a trader in religion, because in the name of religion, many people are exploited. Nor should one earn one’s livelihood by dealing with dead bodies because such people want more and more people to die, so that they may thereby increase their income. People should also not earn their livelihood by lending money and taking interest. Such persons want to lend more and more money to gain more and more interest, and they do not want the borrowers to refund the capital. The scriptures stipulate that people should not accept food from such people, because their occupations are despicable.” (2)

Over the course of history – in so many lands – money lenders have exploited people to the bone and taken all they had. This has happened not only with the farmers of Bengal depicted below but in so many regions and eras, including in the present day US where countless innocent families are losing their homes because they are unable to pay the money / mortgage they owe.

“Another group of exploiters emerged who took advantage of the poverty of the farmers. These were the moneylenders, who lent money to the farmers at exorbitant rates of interest. The farmers were forced to take loans which they could never repay, so they mortgaged their lands. Eventually the moneylenders became the owners of the farmers’ lands, and the farmers were thus converted into landless labourers… moneylending by private capitalists should be banned and provisions must be made to pay loans in advance to the farmers through the banks. This will eradicate the exploitation by moneylenders and political cadres.” (3)

SUMMARY

We should all exercise extreme caution in our financial dealings. This era of extreme capitalism has devoured the lives of many – leaving them as desperate beggars unable to regain their footing. We must not let this happen to us or anyone we know. We should remain out of debt and keep our mind free for psycho-spiritual endeavors. That is the only way. Remember, one in debt becomes mentally bound by this financial burden as well.

Thus no one in Ananda Marga should make a living by lending money and no Ananda Margii should go into any sort of debt without first getting clear-cut permission from respected members of our Marga.

By following Baba’s guidelines, we can maintain our psychic equilibrium. Going into debt and digging means losing one’s mental peace and becoming a lifelong tool of those greedy capitalists.

MORE ANANDA MARGA GUIDELINES ON THIS TOPIC

WHO IS REALLY HAPPY

“The person who is able to get some vegetables to eat at least once a day, who incurs no debt and who has no need to leave home to earn a living, is really happy.” (4)

DO NOT BORROW TO HOST FEAST

“A marriage feast is completely optional and depends upon the financial capacity of the people concerned. Arranging the feast by taking a loan or incurring a debt is prohibited.” (5)

“For the celebration of this ceremony the arrangement of a social feast depends entirely on the desire and the financial position of the guardians concerned. Taking a loan or incurring a debt for this purpose is forbidden.” (6)

AGAINST YAMA AND NIYAMA

“It is often noticed that individuals incur debt because of their violating the principles of Yama and Niyama, especially due to their extravagance – and as a result, they approach the society for relief. In this connection I must point out that just as the society is duty-bound to give relief to individuals by combined efforts, so also it must have control over the conduct of individuals, over their practice of the principles of Yama and Niyama, and also over their expenditure. Not to consult anybody at the time of spending money but to ask for help from all when in debt, is not a good practice. Such a mentality cannot be encouraged.”
“To purchase, by incurring debt, serge where tweed will do, or gaberdine where serge will do, is surely against the principle of aparigraha. Similarly, people should take food which is nutritious but not rich. They have to give up the practice of feeding others with money taken on loan. That is why social control over the individual’s conduct and expenditure is indispensably necessary. Hence, all Ananda Margis, when they see other Margis acting against the principles of Yama and Niyama, must make them shun this habit either by sweet or harsh words or by dealing even more strictly. Thus they will have to make the society strong. Henceforth I direct every Ananda Margi to keep strict vigilance on other Ananda Margi to make them practise the principles of Yama and Niyama and also to accept calmly directions of other Margis in this connection.” (7)

“SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISUSE LOANS”

“You might have noticed that there are many countries which suffer from financial stringency, so they take loans from other countries. These loans are then used for ventures like constructing large dams on their rivers.”
“The science of economics teaches that the rolling of money should never be blocked by any sort of non-productive investment. Sometimes people misuse loans to construct an unnecessary building or a new showroom for their business, and thus prevent the possibility of reinvesting the capital and increasing their wealth. Economics teaches that loans taken for business investment should always be utilized for productive purposes, and should never be utilized in any unproductive venture. Foreign loans, for example, should never be invested in constructing large railway stations instead of railway lines.” (8)

INCURRING BIG DEBT TO MARRY DAUGHTER

“Formerly, even poor families had to sell their property to arrange the obsequies of their departed parents. Nowadays normally such things are rare. In such cases, kriyálopa took place under circumstantial pressure. But the custom of incurring heavy debt and selling one’s property to marry off one’s daughters still continues. Of course, when women become a little more socially-aware and men become a little more conscientious, and if women become economically self-reliant by bringing about a change in the economic structure, this custom of kanyádána = [forced social obligations to marry the daughters with dowry and feasts] will die out. And when the caste system will fully die out, the marriage system will develop in a healthy atmosphere. Many unhealthy customs will vanish from society.” (9)

IMPORTANT ACCOUNT

“In the factories and the rural production centres, the capitalist exploitation of India continues unabated, and the landholders, as the last vestiges of a feudalistic social order, perpetrate their exploitation in the villages. The capitalists and landlords carry on their exploitation hand-in-hand. The survival and social security of the landless labourers depends solely on the whims of the landlords, who can expel the labourers at any time on any pretext.”
“The exploitation by capitalists and landlords is accompanied by the exploitation by moneylenders. In the rural economy they lend money to the farmers and rural peasants, and are present in nearly every village and hamlet of West Bengal. Where the landlords are not physically present, their loyal agents are very active. The moneylenders have nothing to do with the land – they merely give loans to the poor farmers at high interest. Sometimes poor farmers cannot afford to procure farming implements, hence they are compelled to take loans from the moneylenders. If a moneylender gives one hundred rupees to a farmer, the farmer will have to repay two hundred rupees with interest, but the moneylender does not take back the loan in cash. Instead he realizes the amount in kind in the form of paddy, potatoes, etc., at cheap rates at the time of the harvest. The poor farmer, under the pressure of circumstances, has to accept this unwelcome system. He is a double loser – first, he has to pay more than double the amount of the original loan, and secondly, this amount is paid in kind at the rate of the harvest price of the crop, which is naturally very cheap. This whole process is conducted through agents, who also take their profit. Thus, the peasants and farmers of India are deprived of all their agricultural produce in four to five months of the year to repay the moneylenders, so for the remaining seven to eight months they have to approach the moneylenders again for fresh loans. At first they mortgage their implements, and then they are forced to part with their land. When the amount of the loans with compound interest increases to the point where the interest and the mortgage is equal to the price of their land, the moneylenders confiscate the land of the farmers. Consequently, the farmers get evicted from their land and move from village to village, living on the streets as beggars.”
“The direct representatives of the capitalist exploiters in the rural economy are the middlemen. They take advantage of the poverty and distress of the farmers and force them to depend on the capitalists for their production. For example, in West Bengal, Calcutta is the main centre of the capitalists, but of course they have subsidiary centres in various parts of the state. For instance, they have centres in Siliguri in North Bengal, Sainthia in Birbhum district, Purulia town in Purulia district and Midnapore town in Midnapore district. From these centres the capitalists, through their agents and middlemen, control the rural economy of West Bengal. The farmers depend on these middlemen not only to procure farm implements, but also to sell their agricultural produce. They also take advantage of the illiteracy of the simple uneducated farmers, collect their signatures or thumb prints for a larger loan, and pay them less than the market value of their produce.”
“Indian society is basically capitalistic, and the administrative system is a capitalist dominated democracy. It is the capitalists who control and direct the social, economic and political systems of India. The problem of how to remain in power is the most important issue for every political party that comes to power in an election. When political interest is of paramount importance, naturally the government will frame laws to safeguard the interests of the capitalist exploiters. The responsibility of upholding the interests of the exploiters in the name of law and order devolves onto the bureaucracy and police. The political leaders merely engage in internal bickering over their share of the ill-gotten gains.” (10)

“MONEY LENDING, CHARGING EXORBITANT INTEREST” = EXPLOITATION

“There are various types of exploitation in society. The form and character of exploitation changes as per changes in time, place and person. In every era of the social cycle, there are various kinds of exploitation. For example, in the economic sphere there is feudal exploitation, colonial exploitation, capitalist exploitation, imperialist exploitation and fascist exploitation. Exploitation may also manifest in such spheres as the physical, psychic, economic, political and cultural spheres. In the past the slave system was prevalent in the Greek and Roman Empires. The rulers sucked the blood of the vanquished to bolster their own interests. In psychic exploitation, the masses are misled with the help of pseudo-philosophies which encourage dogma and narrowmindedness. Democratic socialism and the theory of peaceful coexistence are examples of the hypocrite’s psychology. In economic exploitation, vested interests deprive people of their minimum requirements. Money lending, charging exorbitant interest rates, compelling poor farmers to sell their produce through distress sales, etc., are examples of economic exploitation. Regardless of the type of exploitation used by the exploiters, when society is moving towards revolution, the role of the exploiters is exposed. The exploiters are unable to disguise their exploitation any longer.” (11)

“Predatory lending is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of some lenders during the loan origination process. While there are no legal definitions in the United States for predatory lending, an audit report on predatory lending from the office of inspector general of the FDIC broadly defines predatory lending as “imposing unfair and abusive loan terms on borrowers.” Though there are laws against many of the specific practices commonly identified as predatory, various federal agencies use the term as a catch-all term for many specific illegal activities in the loan industry. Predatory lending should not be confused with predatory mortgage servicing which is the unfair, deceptive, or fraudulent practices of lenders and servicing agents during the loan or mortgage servicing process, post loan origination.”
“One less contentious definition of the term is “the practice of a lender deceptively convincing borrowers to agree to unfair and abusive loan terms, or systematically violating those terms in ways that make it difficult for the borrower to defend against.” Other types of lending sometimes also referred to as predatory include payday loans, certain types of credit cards, mainly subprime, or other forms of (again, often subprime) consumer debt, and overdraft loans, when the interest rates are considered unreasonably high. Although predatory lenders are most likely to target the less educated, the poor, racial minorities, and the elderly, victims of predatory lending are represented across all demographics.”
“Predatory lending typically occurs on loans backed by some kind of collateral, such as a car or house, so that if the borrower defaults on the loan, the lender can repossess or foreclose and profit by selling the repossessed or foreclosed property. Lenders may be accused of tricking a borrower into believing that an interest rate is lower than it actually is, or that the borrower’s ability to pay is greater than it actually is. The lender, or others as agents of the lender, may well profit from repossession or foreclosure upon the collateral.”

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Bengalis and Mahasambhuti

Baba says, “During the war between the Kaoravas and the Pan’davas, the kings of Bengal did not take part. They thought there is no benefit in it.” (Bam’la’r Itiha’s, Ananda Vacanamrtam-10 [Bangla’])

The advent of Mahasambhuti on this planet is a grand event. Of course He does everything according to His divine plan. Those whom He graces work according to His direction and follow the command of Mahasambhuti. Those blessed souls who have a good samskara and strong devotion – and ultimately His grace – work unitedly under His shelter. Whereas those whose samskara is not good or are in a different flow keep themselves away. That is what happened in the Mahabharat era. From Afghanistan and Pakistan to Sri Lanka, and each and every nook and corner of south and north India, all the states including Nepal joined in to cooperate with Lord Krsna’s divine plans and programs. While some like Duryodhana did not support. As Baba says in His above teaching, that time the leaders of Bengal did not support Mahasambhuti.

Something similar is going on these days also as some from Bengal are not supporting. They are disobeying Guru Baba: By their own whim they invented the dogma of mahaprayan and observe it annually. This was never given or approved by Baba.
****************************************

Baba, by Your own mercy and compassion, You have come to my abode holding a basket of grace. Baba, Your divine advent in my home is not due to my calling – it is solely due to Your infinite love. O’ My Lord, You have taken so much trouble to come to me. You are so gracious. O’ Parama Purusa, I do not have any quality of my own – nor have I done any good work, nor do I do proper sadhana. Even then with a deep yearning in my heart I go on remembering and calling You. Baba, today You have come to my abode.

Baba, the brilliant stars of the vast, expansive sky are chanting Your divine name and singing that: ‘You are the Divine Lord, the Divine Saviour, You help everyone’. Baba, everywhere, all the time, You shower Your causeless grace on one and all. O’ Supreme Entity, You are the Controller of this entire universe. In the blue sky, the meteor and galaxies are showering their effulgence for You – to serve You, to please You. Baba, today You have come to my abode.

O’ Parama Purusa, whatever I have achieved in life is because of Your grace. I do not have any merit of my own. You have graciously showered me with Your abundant compassion and filled my entire existence with Your fathomless love. Unfortunately I did not give You anything. Baba, by Your grace, today I have placed fresh flower blossoms along with my entire being at Your lotus feet. Baba, today You have come to my abode. I am surrendering myself at Your alter…

== THREATENS THE LONGEVITY OF ANANDA MARGA ==

Namaskar,
The so-called mahaprayan gathering is not an innocuous program; rather by definition it threatens the very survival of Ananda Marga society.

EVERY SOCIETY WANTS TO SURVIVE

BUT ALL SUCCUMB OVER TIME

There have been so many societies that have come on this earth and all wanted to survive – nay they all wanted to thrive and last forever on this earth. But the reality is that, at some point in time, each and every civilisation meets its demise and falls into oblivion.

Such civilisations of the past included the Mayan, Incas, Roman, Confucian, Greeks, Aztecs, Egyptian, Licchaviis, Vikings, Phoenicians – and the list goes on and on.

Similarly, the societies currently active on this globe also have their inherent flaws and weak links; they will not last long – let alone forever. Yet all hold the aspiration to stand the test of time.

OUR ANANDA MARGA IS DIFFERENT

Baba has graciously provided us with the key tenets that ensure the survival of any society. This He has done with the elaboration of the six spokes of the social cycle, or s’ad’ara’h sama’ja cakra. And these six are all present in Ananda Marga. As His disciples, we are to adhere to His guiding principles.

SIX SPOKES OF THE SOCIAL CYCLE

Before advancing any further, we should first identify what the six spokes are that ensure the preservation and prosperity of any society.

Baba says, “The six factors which guide society, which make it vibrate in bliss and dance in bliss when its different entities realize the fullness of existence in every fibre of their existence, are the s’ad’ara’h sama’ja cakra [six spokes of the social cycle]. The six are: spiritual practice, spiritual ideology, social outlook, socio-economic theory, scripture and preceptor.” (1)

Here Baba outlines the six spokes.

“Numerous factors are needed for the development of a group of people. But the following six are the most important of them.”

“There should be a spiritual ideology in the life of both the individual and the collective body. Much of your energy is misused due to the ignorance of your own self and the destination towards which you are moving. This misuse of energy is bound to cause destruction.”

“The second factor for the progress of society is spiritual cult, a Sádhaná process. Everyone has got a physical structure. The problem with every individual is to produce more and more ectoplasmic stuff by the body and then to convert it into consciousness. There should be a proper process for this conversion. Spiritual cult consists of the conversion of the five rudimental factors into ectoplasmic stuff and then into consciousness through a special scientific process. This is a process of metamorphosis. Spiritual cult therefore, is indispensable. But only spiritual ideology and spiritual philosophy will not do.”

“The third factor which is a blending of Asti (existence) and Bhati (growth) is a socio-economic theory. There should be a priori knowledge regarding the social structure, the distribution of wealth and its growth. For want of this knowledge there can’t be a solid ground for the construction of the social edifice.”

“The fourth one is social outlook. All living creatures in this manifest universe are the children of the same Cosmic Entity. They are the progeny of the same Supreme Progenitor. Naturally they are bound in a thread of fraternal relations. This is the central spirit. A socio-economic theory is of no use but for this fraternal feeling. The implementation of this theory is an impossibility without Sádhaná.”

“The fifth factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own scripture. There is a need for the company of elevated persons (satsaunga) in all spheres of life.”

“The authority whose contact means satsaunga for you is the shástra. That which elevates society by dint of sháśana is called [[shástra]]. We should have a shástra of our own. The last but not the least important factor for the progress of society is for it to have its own preceptor.”

“The entire social structure is dependent on these six factors. Bhati (growth) is meaningless without them. The weakness of one among them may jeopardize the very existence of Bhati.”

“From ancient times many groups of people came into existence. Some of them somehow managed to drag on, some became extinct and some continued to exist in a metamorphosed form. About one thousand five hundred years ago, Arabs were very developed in science. But they were defeated by the Islamic wave, for they were lacking in the six aforesaid factors, while the latter had at least five of them. The same is the case with Egypt. It was fully developed in the spheres of art, architecture and science. It is the Egyptians who made the pyramids which needed subtle geometrical knowledge. Moreover, they were also very advanced in the sphere of civilization. Despite this, they could not prevent their defeat. Today’s Egypt is the Egyptian form of Arab civilization. The cause of the death of its older form was the lack of the aforesaid six factors.”

“The Christian or Roman civilization was also considerably higher on the ladder of development. Yet they were lacking in social outlook. There were no feelings of fraternity and equality. The slave system was rampant and human feelings were on the wane. Furthermore, the lack of a proper socio-economic theory generated a kind of fascist mentality in them. Those rolling in luxury and adverse to labour became indolent. Naturally they were defeated by a stronger and more strenuous force. The destruction of the Greek and Chinese civilizations was also caused by the lack of the factors of Bhati. The Aryans could defeat the indigenous Indians only due to the latter’s lacking in the factors of Bhati (growth). They had several factors of Bhati but there was no preceptor and hence they were defeated.”

“In the future also, for want of the six factors of Bhati (growth), the extinction of a concerned group of people is sure to happen. But where these factors are present, there the movement is towards Ananda or divine bliss, and due to this movement the chance of their elimination becomes nil. Such groups which have the six factors in their possession will be able to produce Sadvipras. Sadvipras are those whose all efforts are directed towards the attainment of Ananda. They are also conscious of Asti (existence) and don’t lack in the six factors of Bhati (growth). They are strong in morality and are always ready to wage war against immoral activities.” (2)

“Ta’raka Brahma is quite a different Entity, a unique Entity, for He is spiritual preceptor, social preceptor, kaola and Maha’kaola all in one.” (9)

So in Ananda Marga, all the six spokes are perfectly met.

…BUT MAHAPRAYAN GOES AGAINST POINT OF PRECEPTOR

In addition, Baba – as the Guru, as the Preceptor – is an eternal Entity who will guide us through the ages.

“The one formless, beginningless and infinite Parama Brahma (Supreme Consciousness) is the only entity to be attained by living beings – That alone is Jagat Guru (the Supreme preceptor), That alone has revealed Brahmavidya’ (intuitional science) to us through the medium of the name and form of Anandamu’rtijii. Unit beings must be made to appreciate Its majesty.” (10)

Unfortunately, those who espouse the program of so-called mahaprayan go against this divine mandate by declaring Baba is gone. That is the meaning of mahaprayan – Guru is no more.

Such an approach seriously threatens our very existence.

That is why even ritualistic Hindus never ever practice the mahaprayan of Lord Shiva or Lord Krsna – because they know well that this would spell the end of their religion, of their civilisation.

Those who advocate mahaprayan plainly tell, directly and indirectly, that Baba is gone forever with the declaration of their dogmatic mahaprayan program.

Such leaders verily remove one of the integral six spokes out of our Ananda Marga society. By taking away the Preceptor – by declaring that Baba is gone with their dogmatic mahaprayan program – they are undermining the very essence of Ananda Marga and threatening its survival.

Devotional and rational-minded margiis and acaryas can never accept such a dogmatic edict; they will never ever accept the dogma of mahaprayan in their heart.

That is why it is sure that our Ananda Marga will last forever; and that is why the dogma of mahaprayan is short-lived. It started in 1990 and has been waning ever since and soon it will be gone entirely. Rational margiis and wts will make the proper ideological stand, by His grace.

“ANANDA MARGA AMAR HAI” – ANANDA MARGA IS ETERNAL

All the six spokes are alive and well in our Ananda Marga and that is why our Marga will lead humanity up to eternity. Our Marga will live on and on, so long as we safeguard each of the six spokes of the social cycle, including that of Preceptor.

“There is no power in the universe, in the heaven or in the underworld, which can annihilate Ananda Marga, because Ananda Marga is established on the solid foundation of rationality and righteousness.” (11)

“A’nanda Ma’rga is that path of progress, and that is why A’nanda Ma’rga is the only alternative for the preservation of human existence and civilization.” (12)

“Ananda Marga Amar Hai – Ananda Marga is eternal!

MAHAPRAYAN:

DETRIMENTAL TO SURVIVAL

It is very evident however that the dogmatic mahaprayan function severely violates the six spokes of the social cycle, as it goes against the point of ‘Preceptor’. For any society to survive there must be the presence of a Preceptor, yet so-called mahaprayan proclaims that Baba is gone. That is why the dogma of mahaprayan is so detrimental to the survival of Ananda Marga.

So long as we adhere to our Ananda Marga dharma, and maintain the integrity of each of the six spokes of the social cycle, then our Ananda Marga will guide the society up through the ages. Regarding this, there is not an iota of doubt.

Baba says, “A’nanda Ma’rga is that path of progress, and that is why A’nanda Ma’rga is the only alternative for the preservation of human existence and civilization.” (13)

For any society to sustain itself, these six factors must be proper. And Baba has placed all six in our Ananda Marga society, including that of Preceptor; thus we should not let any dogma like mahaprayan – which declares that the Preceptor (Baba) is gone – undermine the very survival our AM civilisation.

Here the point is that when any of the six points becomes weak then it slowly, slowly causes the disintegration of that society like a cancer. It has happened in the past and it will happen in the future – if one is not careful.

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

*******************************
Kettle Drum Is Not Sentient Kiirtan

How Kiirtan Controls the Mind

Baba says, “It is advisable to play some instrument during kiirtana. A mrdanga [a kind of drum] or some similar instrument should be used , but one should not play any heavysounding instrument like a dhak [a large drum played with sticks], a dol [a loud drum] or a gong. The mind prefers to hear a sweet sound, like that of the mrdanga, than a harsh sound. Some time ago I mentioned that Bhola Mayra said that when the cawing of crows and the beating of drums stop, human ears get some relief. People do not like to hear such harsh, unpleasant sounds. The sound of the mrdanga may not be perfect, but it has one quality: it is very sweet. Thus, whenever a distracted mind hears the sweet music of a mrdanga, it returns to the proper place. A remarkable science lies in kiirtana.” (Ananda Vacanamrtam – 8, p. 13-14)

Note: Here are two points regarding Baba’s above teaching:

(a) During kiirtan, the mind becomes sentient and does not appreciate rajasik sounds.

(b) During kiirtan, sometimes many indriyas are involved: The mouth, ears, hands, feet, nose, eyes, and tongue. When the indriyas are involved in this way, they help keep the mind focused and bring the mind back when it runs away. Here is the philosophical and practical explanation.

In general, the mind runs towards external physicality via the indriyas, i.e. 10 motor and sensory organs. So when those indriyas are fully involved in a spiritual endeavour like kiirtan, then the mind is forced to engage in kiirtan via one or another organ.

The mind always wants to run – either by thinking a disparate thought or by stimulus received via the organs. As Baba explains above, when the organs are positively involved in a devotional practice like kiirtan, then if the mind wanders away from the kiirtan those organs will help bring the mind back to a spiritual flow.

For instance, let’s say someone doing kiirtan starts thinking about the market and what they will purchase there. Yet when the sweet sound of the mrdangam is received via the senory organs, i.e. the ears, then that sound will bring the mind back the devotional ideation of the kiirtan.

The mind can think any stray thought at any time but if the indriyas are engaged in a spiritual manner, then that will help bring the mind back. That is the special import of singing and dancing kiirtan, along with the sounds of the mrdangam and other sentient musical instruments.
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Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2013 21:38:21
From: Satish@infinity….
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: One of the Main Causes of Balkanisation in AM

Baba

This entire email is composed of 4 parts:
(1) Prabhat Samgiita #3057;
(2) Posting: One of the Main Causes of Balkanisation in AM
(3) Reader Comment: On – Misleading Baba Story & More
(4) Trailer Quote: Searching Outside Is A Waste

Each section is demarcated by asterisks (***).

**** Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita ****

Baba

“A’ndha’re tumi ele, a’loy bhariya’ dile…” (P.S. 3057)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, You have graciously appeared in this Cimmerian darkness. By Your holy advent, everything has become filled with Your divine aura & effulgence. By Your causeless grace, all my dirt, staticity, negativity was removed in a flash. Amazingly, the Cimmerian darkness has been instantly transformed into effulgence by Your divine Presence.

O’ Supreme Entity, the clusters of clouds of confusion and dilemma which enveloped my life for ages were blown away in an instant by Your sweet momentum. The force of Your sweetness pushed them away. When my heart felt for You then no dilemma remained – they vanished. O’ my Lord You have magically removed all my burdens and pains and pulled me very close to You – in Your closest proximity. Baba, now I understand that by Your divine compassion I am never alone – nor am I ever neglected. You have graciously appeared in this Cimmerian darkness.

O’ Parama Purusa, You are always along with me close by – lovingly taking care of everything. I am always surrounded by You. Even knowing thus, I have cried. O’ My Lord, You blessed me by making me forget that cry. You are so gracious, now You are here by my side, along with me. You have graciously manifested Yourself in this Cimmerian darkness…

Baba, You have come to the darkness and illumined everything with Your light and love…

== ONE OF THE MAIN CAUSES OF BALKANISATION IN AM ==

Namaskar,
Expulsion has been a critical issue in our Ananda Marga since 1990. It has adversely affected our organistation by creating a “culture of fear” and undermining our unity – leading to terrible balkanisation. To resolve this issue we must better understand our Ananda Marga’s stand on expulsion, as well as investigate how it has been misused.

ANANDA MARGA POLICY ON EXPULSION

There is no scope for expulsion in Ananda Marga: As long as one follows Ista and has faith in adarsha, they can’t be expelled. That is the main idea.

MUST NOT GO AGAINST ISTA

The key point in this topic is that one must not go against Guru.

As we all know, Vishokananda was a traitor to Guru. As a defector, he had already categorically removed himself from Ananda Marga. Thus, his expulsion was a mere formality.

Because when one does not accept or follow Ista that means they have basically disconnected themselves from Ananda Marga at the most fundamental level. In that case their life itself is contrary to the main principle of being an Ananda Margii.

Think of it in this way:

If a person is loyal to their country then they are a citizen. And if they act in a way that is disloyal to that nation they will lose their right to live in that country as a citizen.

Likewise, if one observes non-compromising strictness and faith regarding the sanctity of Ista and adarsha, they are an Ananda Margii. If one renounces Ananda Marga ideals and plots against Ista, they have withdrawn themselves from Ananda Marga and their expulsion is a mere formality – as they have already disconnected themselves from Ananda Marga from the very root.

HOW EXPULSION HAS BEEN MISUSED SINCE 1990

In essence, since 1990, whoever has been at the helm has used expulsion as a weapon to maintain their exploitative hegemony over the organisation. There have been many expulsions over the years and none have been warranted. None were done to safeguard and protect the sanctity of Ista. Those sadhakas who were expelled were whistleblowers who pointed out bad deeds going on in Centre.

They were sadhakas committed to Ista and Ananda Marga ideology. The only thing they were “guilty” of was taking a dharmic stand against wrongdoings and injustices in the upper echelons of the organisation.

Indeed, since 1990, certain key Dadas have used expulsion again and again as a tool for (a) seeking revenge (b) getting rid of dharmic whistleblowers, (c) creating an atmosphere of fear, (d) threatening and wiping away any in their path for more power, and (e) maintaing the status quo.

This is the very dark way in which expulsion has been used – and the results have been horrific.

OPEN COMMUNICATION IS A MUST

In every organisation and community, there must be scope for the free expression of ideas. By this way wrongs can be corrected, injustices can be undone, and an environment of trust is created.

If open communication is not allowed, then by the weight of their own injustices, that organisation will crumble. So within every organisation and community, there must be adequate and ample scope for the free expression of ideas. There must be open avenues wherein opinions can be expressed and evaluated. That is an absolute need for the survival and growth of any organisation or community. Unfortunately that is missing nowadays in AMPS.

Since 1990, expulsion has been used by groupist leaders to put a clamp on open and free communication just like a communist regime does so no one will point out their atrocities and wrongful dealing.

Those who took a dharmic stand were systematically eliminated using expulsion; and, side by side, others were silenced under the threat of expulsion. That has been the harmful trend since 1990.

By veritably shutting down the air-waves and eliminating the voice of the people, the stage was set for the organisation to move along the harsh pathway of injustice after injustice, and one vengeful deed after another. All done in order to grab hold of more power and keep others at bay.

ANOTHER NEGATIVE OFFSHOOT OF EXPULSION:

THE RISE OF SPLINTER FACTIONS

Another harmful offshoot of expulsion is the rise of splinter groups and competing factions, i.e. balkanisation. When people are expelled on false pretenses and when others are fearful of expulsion, then naturally such persons will seek out a new home. When they can no longer survive under such suppression, oppression, and repression, then they themselves will form a splinter group or competing faction. And that severely threatens unity; rather it shatters all attempts at unity.

This we have all been witnessed in AMPS since 1990. All because expulsion has been used as a weapon of revenge and a tool for destruction where innocent people have been harmed and dharmic voices have been outcaste or silenced.

OUR IDEOLOGICAL STANDPOINT

There is no scope for expulsion in Ananda Marga: As long as one follows Ista and has faith in adarsha, they can’t be expelled, irrespective of what they have done. That is is the main idea.

And in the case of those who have been expelled since 1990, they were not involved in any wrongdoing or misdeed. They were firm in morality and Sixteen Points. So there is no question of any wrongdoing; they were jettisoned for blowing the whistle on unjust and corrupt dealings by various top Dadas. Because of this, such sadhakas were expelled.

HISTORY OF HOW WHISTLEBLOWERS HAVE BEEN SIDELINED

BY UNJUST LEADERS

Here Baba points out the long history how those in power regularly attacked and exiled dharmic persons who opposed the injustices of the ruling elite. Remember, hundreds and thousands of years of history show that whenever people stood up to exploitation and pointed out the status quo then those in power misused their authority, and harassed and outcasted them. Baba strongly condemns such dealing.

Unfortunately a similar thing has happened and is happening in AMPS, as described in the prior para. We should read Baba’s teachings to understand more in-depthly: How in the past atrocities occurred and that the same is going on at present in AMPS.

“In the Vipra era, humanity was affronted by the creation of divisions between high and low. People of high-birth would lose their caste if they merely stepped on the shadow of the so-called low-castes. Even worse, if a Vedic Brahman touched a person from a low family he was declared an outcaste. In no other age has humanity suffered such hatred and insult. Rabindranath says, “By standing aloof from your fellow man daily, you have hated the God enthroned in his heart.”” (1)

“Nor did the Samskrta scholars give any importance to Bengali: it was considered nothing short of blasphemy to translate the religious scriptures from Samskrta into Bengali. The Nabab Hussein Shah personally tried to develop the Bengali language. With his active support Krttivása Ojah translated the Ramayana, Káshii Ram Dash translated the Mahabharata and Máladhra Vasu translated the Bhágavata from Samskrta to Bengali. This caused a furor among the community of scholars. They tried to brand Hussein Shah as a saboteur of the Hindu religion because, according to them, to translate the holy scriptures into Bengali was to defile the Hindu religion. Máládhra Vasu had to bear the stigma of being a Moslem convert and was widely ridiculed as Guńaranjiṋa Khan. So incensed were the Samskrta scholars over the translations of Krttivása Ojah that he was declared an outcaste for committing an act of sacrilege. All this took place only 450 years ago.” (2)

“The Shákadviipii Brahmans spread (prasár) Ayurveda throughout northern India. In Bengal, however, there was little use of Ayurveda; mainly the Vaedyaka system was in vogue. In contrast to Ayurveda, the Vaedyaka treatises provided for the dissection of corpses; that is, the Bengali physicians did not limit themselves to the Ayurvedic theories. They paid attention to the practical side also. Later on, the demonic dogmas of the Shákadviipii Brahmans in north India extended their limiting influence over the physicians as well and slowly the Vaedyaka practitioners abandoned the dissection of cadavers. When Shrii Madhusudhan Gupta began practising western medicine during British rule the caste injunction against touching dead bodies made him a social outcaste.” (3)

“In vaedyak shástra there is a provision for the dissection of dead bodies; but in northern India, there is no such provision. Anyone doing so will run the risk of becoming an outcast. And so there is a standing rule in northern India that the Vaedyas of Bengal are not recognized as Brahmans, although, according to the liberal social system of Bengal, the Vaedyas should be recognized as Brahmans. I do not believe in casteism; I am just trying to point out the facts.” (4)

“The Atharva was mixed with Tantra at nearly every step. At one time the orthodox priests declared the followers of the Atharvaveda to be socially outcast; they said atharvánnaḿ má bhuiṋjiitháh, that is, the food of the followers of the Atharvaveda should not be accepted.” (5)

“PROTESTED AGAINST INJUSTICE AND WRONGS,

THE EVIL FORCES FORTHWITH PLOTTED AGAINST THE PERSON” ~ BA’BA’

“History bears testimony that whenever a person states the absolute truth in any sphere of life, whether it be spiritual, social, economic or otherwise; sought clarification of doubts or protested against injustice and wrongs, the evil forces forthwith plotted against the person, administered poison, slandered and assaulted that person with rage, misused authority and mercilessly dealt blow after blow; but the blows boomeranged and ultimately the evil forces were annihilated by those very blows. Remember, by an unalterable decree of history, the evil forces are destined to meet their final doom.” (6)

“The unity of Ananda Margis should not be allowed to be jeopardized for any reason. Unity should be maintained even at the risk of your life.” (7)

ANANDA MARGA IDEALS:

HOW GRAND SOCIETY WILL BE

Following is grand ideal of Ananda Marga where there will not be any exploitation or expulsion; and, where leaders will not crush whistle blowers with their steamrollers nor harrass them as ruling communists have done. The following ideal has yet to be achieved that is why such a struggle is going on.

“Ananda Marga forms a society in which laws have been framed always keeping in view the common ideal, and thereby developing the idea of the oneness of all humanity. This society is radically different from any existing society, for it provides a society with a common bond where there is no distinction, whether of class or sex, where no one can be outcast or punished so that one may not be incapable of reforming oneself, and where no laws are framed keeping in view the interest of a few individuals only. In such a society, no one would be weak or downtrodden, and no one would allow oneself to be exploited by others. Such a society had been dreamt of and spoken of earlier by moralists and idealists, but never before has a practical approach to achieve it – as has been discovered by Ananda Marga by producing people who combine all the qualities of the different economic classes of the world in one individual – been conceived of by any of the numerous thinkers or lawgivers of the world.” (8)

O’ Parama Purusa, O’ Baba, those who do not search for You within their mind do not get You. Baba, so many people are in search of You. In their ignorance they are looking for You in one country or another, wandering around various holy lands and tiirthas. Even after facing hundreds of troubles and difficulties, they do not get You by searching for You externally. They do not even get a tiny fraction of Your divine reflection. Baba, You are residing within their hearts but they can’t see…

Note: Unfortunately a few naive margiis and Wts search for Parama Purusa outside: Wandering from this tomb to that tomb, from this place to that place, and from this quarters to that quarters. In order to go close, they give large donations to the residing priests of those holy places. In that way, priests benefit economically. Tragically, those seekers cannot feel that Parama Purusa Baba resides in their heart. They cannot understand this so they do not want to see within.
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“A’loker ei ja’tra’pathe prabhu tumi saunge theko…” (PS 3396)
Purport:
O’ Parama Purusa, on the ja’tra’pathe, on the path of this journey [1] of divine effulgence, please grace me by remaining with me all along. If, while moving ahead on the path, I stop, then please don’t leave me behind – do not leave me alone. Baba, keep me along with You, in Your close proximity. Please stay with me.
O’ my Lord, since eternity You have remained with me & colored me in Your color. Now, even in these abnormal and odd hours, in this unusual time period, please do not forget this very truth: That You will remain with me always.
O’ Parama Purusa, where the journey ends You are there because You are the Goal. According to Your own way and playful liila, You go on pulling me close to You by showering Your grace. Baba, at the outer extent of my existential “I” feeling, at that tangential point, You pour nectar. In sadhana, when my mind comes in Your close proximity, You shower bliss on my “I” feeling. Due to Your blessing, my ‘I-feeling’ gets lost in You, merged in You. [2]
O’ the Divine Entity, on this path of forward movement towards You – in all my duties and practices – please keep me at Your lotus feet. O’ my dearmost Baba, this whole entire life is a spiritual journey towards You. Please keep me in Your divine shelter always…

NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA ##3396:
[1] Journey: This refers to our spiritual way of living such as asana, pranayama, dhyana, sadhana and all our devotional practices related with Sixteen Points.
[2] Where one’s unit I-feeling ends, only Parama Purusa remains. Then one will dissolve or merge into Him. So when a person becomes completely ensconced in the deepest samadhi, then in the sahasrara cakra one will taste that divine nectar, and their whole existence will be inundated with His infinite cosmic grace.

== COMPARING WITH DOGMATIC, MISGUIDED, SO-CALLED GURU ==

Namaskar,
In his book, one writer is equating Sadguru Baba with one Buddhist monk – Marpa, the teacher of Milarepa.

Specifically, on page 158 of his book, he directly states that Baba has followed the tantric tradition best embodied by dogmatic guru Marpa’s treatment of Milarepa.

And there are other critical points related with this account.

Here, in this letter, the aim is to clarify the situation, step by step. Then we can collectively decide what to do with such type of publications.

FAULT #1:

WRONG PRESENTATION OF EXHAUSTION OF SAMSKARAS

The dogmatic methods of the so-called guru Marpa are worlds apart from the pristine, rational teachings of Ananda Marga. Even then the writer is telling that Marpa is like Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Baba. See description as follows:

In his book, the writer goes on to recount more about Marpa’s misguided ways as a teacher or guide. The young, beleaguered Milarepa comes to Marpa in hopes of spiritual attainment. But instead of guiding Milarepa properly, Marpa resorts exclusively to assigning Milarepa to backbreaking, torturous tasks of building and destroying stone houses – one after another.

And on page 395, the writer of the book accepts Marpa’s approach, as if by this way the young disciple Milarepa would exhaust his samskaras.

“Marpa explained that he had put him through such severe tests in order to exhaust the heavy karma he had accrued through his evil deeds [of killing his cousins].” (The Jamalpur Years, p.395)

According to the dictates of Ananda Marga, this is entirely wrong. Marpa’s manner of torturing his disciple Milarepa is not going to lead to the exhaustion of Milarepa’s samskaras. Rather, such an approach will create more samskaras.

The so-called guru Marpa thought in his misguided way that by ordering Milarepa to make and break stone houses for decades his (Milarepa’s) sin will be annihilated. This approach from beginning to end is completely terrible and off the mark. Ananda Marga philosophy does not appreciate such things. This type of bogus penance is only appreciated by Buddhists and Jains – not in Ananda Marga.

Baba does not appreciate harsh penance like fasting for months at a time, or standing on one leg in cold water, or exposing oneself to a fire pit etc. It is fruitless to indulge in that type of so-called penance in hopes of pleasing Parama Purusa. By these dogmatic methods, Parama Purusa will not be pleased.

But the so-called guru Marpa was doing like this to his would-be disciple. Actually, Milarepa was not yet his disciple, even then Marpa adopted this approach of harsh, bone-breaking treatment.

So the dogmatic methods of the so-called guru Marpa are worlds apart from the pristine, rational teachings of Ananda Marga. Even then the writer is telling that Marpa is like Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Baba.

TRUE WAY TO EXHAUST SAMSKARAS

In Ananda Marga, here is how one is to exhaust their samskaras.

“In other words, until the actions, whether good or bad are annihilated, human beings cannot attain salvation or Mokśa. Can the gold chain be looser and less torturing than the iron chain to someone in bondage? Similarly, the bondage of bad actions is exactly as tight as the bondage of good actions.

“Therefore, for salvation or emancipation, it is necessary to be liberated from the bondage of sam’skáras. The question is, how to attain salvation? When it is essential to act for maintaining one’s existence, how is it possible to avoid the cycle of action and reaction?”

“It is known from philosophic propositions that the attainment of Mukti (liberation) or Mokśa (salvation) is possible only through spiritual practices or sádhaná. It therefore follows that there is certainly some means to attain liberation from samskáras.”

“There are three processes for attaining freedom from the bondage of action: (1) relinquishing any desire for the fruits of action, or Phalákámkśá Tyága, (2) Abandoning the vanity of performing an act, or Kartrtvábhimána Tyága, and (3) surrendering all actions unto Brahma. All of these have to be followed in the individual life, but it must be kept in mind that they all have to be strictly observed. To be more explicit, these rules are the different aspects of one and the same process.” (1)

FAULT #1 (CONTINUED)

WHAT TO SPEAK OF EXHAUSTING SAMSKARAS

MILAREPA CREATED NEW SAMSKARAS

According to Ananda Marga philosophy, by constructing and destroying – by making and breaking – those stone houses, Milarepa created new samskaras; and his old sins remained as is.

So his misguided so-called guru Marpa has no clue.

Not only that, the writer himself is utterly clueless. That is why he is comparing Marpa’s dogmatic methods with Ananda Marga ideals. The “writer” himself is not informed about Ananda Marga samskara theory and how it works. If he did, then he would never have put such an account in his book.

Thus, in his own confused manner, the writer placed Buddhist dogma into our Ananda Marga book.

Beware – those who are not familiar with Ananda Marga samskara theory will get indoctrinated into Buddhist dogma by reading this text. And they will think that what they read is Ananda Marga philosophy. That is the worst part. That is what makes this situation is so scary for new readers and for those who do not know.

Once again, the writer’s assertion that Marpa’s approach of torturing his disciple will bring about the exhaustion of samskaras is completely incorrect and wholly misleading. Rather, this is just one dogma. So that is the first key fault with this account.

All in all, it is completely blasphemous to compare a dogmatic Buddhist monk like Marpa with Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji.

MORE OF BABA’S TEACHINGS ON

THE EXHAUSTION OF SAMSKARAS

“Even after crores of kalpas [aeons] the reactions of actions are not exhausted. This continues to be so as long as the reactions have not been experienced.” How will the reactions of the actions be exhausted? Karmabhogena kśiiyate – “When the reactions are experienced, then only are they exhausted.” Avashyameva bhoktavyam’ krtam karmashubhá shubham – “one has performed good actions, so their fruits are to be enjoyed; so also is it with bad actions.” Hence one has to be cautious while performing actions. After that, repentance will fetch no benefit.” (2)

“Unless one undergoes the requitals of one’s mental reactive momenta – good requitals to good actions, bad requitals to bad actions – one cannot attain liberation.” Avashyameva bhoktavyam’ krtam’ karma shubháshubham – “whether an action is good or bad, the reaction must be experienced.” (3)

CANNOT PLEASE PARAMA PURUSA

BY DOING PENANCE

“When someone does rigorous penance, for instance, with hands upraised for a long period, his or her blood circulation, nervous system and bone position are bound to be jeopardized. Will the pain in the arms of those who do penance with head downwards and legs upwards be an aid to their mental concentration, or will their minds be constantly focused on the pain? Will they be able to maintain their mental balance in such an unnatural state? When some practise rigorous penance sitting in the centre of a circle of fire, will not the fire’s heat impair the natural functioning of their bodies and minds? Thus these types of penance are detrimental to health, what to speak of the attainment of liberation!”
“Those who think that rigorous penance will gain the affection of Parama Puruśa are entirely mistaken. They try to achieve something, but fail miserably. Parama Puruśa has never said, nor will ever say, that anyone should violate the naturalness of life and become abnormal, like a vegetating idiot.” (4)

SO-CALLED GURU MARPA TORTURED MILAREPA:

NEVER TAUGHT HIM SADHANA

In Ananda Marga no one is prohibited from taking initiation. All who have a human body – whether they be illiterate or an intellectual, a sinner or a virtuous person etc – all with desire to learn spiritual practice will immediately be taught sadhana by an acarya. And if a person has no such desire then it is the duty of an acarya to inspire and convince them to learn. So in Ananda Marga, the aim is to bring all onto the spiritual path.

But the so-called guru Marpa tortured his would-be disciple for decades and never taught him sadhana. Actually, what that dogmatic guru Marpa knew was just bogus. Marpa himself did not know or practice dharma sadhana. Even then he did not like to teach his dogma to Milarepa. Just Marpa tortured him in order to heighten his own self-importance as guru. This was his heartless, selfish and dogmatic approach. The dogmatic methods of the so-called guru Marpa are worlds apart from the pristine, rational teachings of Ananda Marga. Even then the writer is telling that Marpa is like Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji Baba. That is absolutely appalling.

DOGMATIC BELIEF TO EXHAUST SAMSKARAS

MAKING AND BREAKING STONE HOUSES

Here the summary is that one cannot exhaust their samskaras by that type of bone-breaking labour and torturing the body by making and breaking stone houses – one after another. That is just pramatta – bad from beginning to end. This has nothing to do with the exhaustion of samskaras.

Thus neither did Marpa know how to help Milarepa exhaust his samskaras nor did Marpa even teach Milarepa the dogma that he knew.

Both things – the withholding of teachings and the bogus method of making and breaking stone houses as a means to exhaust samskaras – are entirely against the fundamentals of Ananda Marga.

Yet the writer is comparing this dogmatic fellow Marpa with our Divine Sadguru Baba. This is what is so appalling. Who can justify this.

FAULT #2:

WRITER COMPARES BABA WITH MARPA

Unfortunately in that book, the writer compares Baba with one dogmatic, misguided Buddhist monk named Marpa. So this type of comparison is completely wrong. Baba is the Sadguru Supreme and beyond all comparison. He is Mahasambhuti – pure and blemishless and above all earthly bondages.

And the dogmatic-minded Marpa, the Buddhist monk who is the teacher of Milarepa, is completely bound by his own limitations and samskaras. Marpa himself is prone to all kinds of dogmas and misguided ways, while Baba Himself is perfect in all regards. To even hint at any comparison is completely wrong.

Yet that is what the writer has done. On page 158 of his book, he directly states that Baba has followed the tantric tradition best embodied by dogmatic guru Marpa’s treatment of Milarepa. An earthworm has life and Devashish has life, yet can we say that Devashish is an earthworm – we cannot.

Hence this comparison runs 100% contrary to Ananda Marga teachings. And that is the second chief fault made by the writer.

WHO MADE THIS BOGUS COMPARISON

BETWEEN SADGURU BABA AND THE DOGMATIC BUDDDHIST MONK MARPA

The “writer” who compared the misguided dogmatic guru Marpa with our Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurti ji Baba is Devashish (Deva’shiis’a / Devashish / Devashiisa) a.k.a. Donald Acosta. This is the person who did like this. By his entire effort it is quite evident that he does not understand Ananda Marga samskara theory and other essentials of Ananda Marga philosophy. Nor does he understand the greatness of our Sadguru Baba Lord Shrii Shrii Anandamurtiji. Otherwise he would not have compared the dogmatic guru Marpa with Baba, and he would not have included that entire story of torturing Milarepa in his book. All in all this is an unfortunate episode in the dealing of one “writer”, i.e. Devashish (Deva’shiis’a / Devashish / Devashiisa).

BABA’S RELATED TEACHINGS ON SAMSKARA THEORY:

THE REACTION IS MUCH GREATER – SO BE CAREFUL

“Avashyameva bhoktavyam’ krtam’ karmashubhá shubham. Now the question arises whether the reactions will be just [equal] to the actions, or less, or more. Equal and opposite reaction is [the rule], but then, whether the enjoyment of the reaction of actions is purely psychic or physico-psychic is to be seen. Where the action is purely mental, the reaction will be just [equal] to that. But if the action is physico-psychic, the question is, what will be the reaction? Still one thing is there, that if the mind is not affected by the physico-psychic action, nothing happens.(1) But [usually] when the reaction is physico-psychic, it has more effect than the action performed.”
“If it is purely psychic, the reaction will be just equal to it. [But] the reaction of the physico-psychic action does not affect the mind cent per cent. A person enjoys [psychic] reactions just [equal] to the actions performed. If there be some quantity of the reaction of physico-psychic action [that affects the body], in that case, the reaction will be much more than the action performed. The mind will be affected just according to the psychic action – that is the case with psychic actions. [But] if the action is physico-psychic, some of the reactions [affect] the mind, some [do] not. That which affects the mind is a psychic reaction, that which does not is physical. Among these reactions, the one that is in the pure physical sphere does not affect the mind. The pure psychic coupled with the [physical] of a physico-psychic reaction add up to produce a greater reaction. So the quantity of reaction in case of a physico-psychic action becomes much greater. Hence one should be careful.” (5)

“REBORN AGAIN AND AGAIN”

“An original action begets a certain reaction, and simultaneously brings one within the bondage of actions. Unless those bondages are broken, the microcosms will have to keep moving in a cycle of action and reaction – they will have to be reborn again and again on this earth.” (6)

“ONE HAS TO COME TO THIS WORLD AGAIN”

“There is no escape even if one performs a good action. One has to return again and again to this earth in order to reap the auspicious consequences of such actions. The idea that the disembodied mind experiences the auspicious consequences of its good actions is indeed a fantasy. This fantasy world is called heaven. It means that if one has performed a good action, then one will reap the consequences of that auspicious action after death. But the mind can experience its good consequences, if and only if, it has a body. One experiences joy and agony, pleasure and pain only if one has a brain, nerve cells and nerve fibres. If there is no physical body, how can there be any experience? So the thought of experiencing that pleasure in heaven is nothing but sheer fantasy. There is no logic behind it. That is why, in Ánanda Sútram, it is said, Na svargo na rasátala [“There is neither heaven nor hell”].”
“Where is the question of pleasure and pain in the absence of the physical body! So the fantasy of heaven is completely erroneous. Yes, one has to come to this world again in order to experience pleasure and pain. You have to come to the world again so that the sam’skáras of the past attain fruition. It is correct, because one has to perform actions in order to restore the mind to its normal state from the distortions (vikrti) caused by previous actions.” (7)

DO FOR THE BENEFIT OF SOCIETY

“There are some people who say, “Well, we will undergo hardship for the welfare of the world.” This undergoing of penance has also a bright side. A ninety or one-hundred-year-old woman undertakes penance – why? Certainly with the expectation that her penance will one day be rewarded – perhaps that she will get a place in heaven. Let us see how important this undertaking of penance is – whether it is for one’s family, or for one’s personal elevation, or for the benefit of the society. Nothing in this world is valueless: even the undertaking of hardship is not useless. But is that the highest excellence in human life? In fact, the undertaking of penance is an action without any fixed goal: “I do not know, nor do I want to know, why I am subjecting myself to penance. I am merely doing penance for the sake of penance.” This is totally meaningless. It is like rowing a boat without knowing where one is drifting – merely rowing for the sake of rowing. This is utterly useless. This aimless rowing will simply cause pain in the hands. One day one will lose the capacity to row the boat, and finally the boat will sink and all will be drowned.”
“One should undergo penance for others’ welfare, for the well-being of the world; and the good that the world enjoys due to one’s sacrifice is the reward. One should not expect any reward greater than this. The good result of a good action is the reward of that action. Similarly the bad result of a bad deed is the negative price of that action. The ancient sages used to practice penance by sitting near a firepit with their legs up and their hands down. What value does this type of penance have? Not much. To continue to perform penance like this is certainly not the highest fulfilment of life. Human beings have come onto this earth to do something good, some thing which will be of some benefit for the society for at least some period of time, if not forever. This is the reason why Vivekananda said, “As you have come to the world, you must leave some mark behind” That is, you must do something which will do good to human society for a long period, if not forever.” (8)

THOSE DOING EXTREME AUSTERITIES

“There are a group of people who are in favour of practicing extreme austerities. To practice severe penance, to court physical trouble while taking care of others is called tapah or penance in the scriptures. The ancient sádhakas used to practice such severe penance. They used to sit with their heads down and their legs raised high, lighting a fire around them, and they used to practice such rigorous penance for twelve years. But is it really worthwhile to do such practices which only subject the body to physical tortures? Through such penances, it is almost impossible to achieve spiritual progress. To undergo physical torture just for the sake of experiencing pain does not lead to spiritual elevation. After those sádhakas underwent the long rigours of penance with their heads down and legs up, with the leaping flames of fire all around them, they had no self-satisfaction that their penance had done even the slightest good to others. By undergoing hardship, one should always help others, and thereby one feels satisfied that at least some good has been done to others. Rigorous austerities do no such good: then what is the justification for undergoing such unnecessary physical tortures? This is nothing but sheer foolishness.” (9)

“Someone may think that he will be able to do penance in Himalayan caves with his legs upraised and head down, neglecting the distressed people of the society. If Parama Puruśa comes and removes the heavy stone door of his cave and appears before him and asks, “What do you want, my child?” – and if he answers, “I want to be one of the stars of the Great Bear constellation,” his desire will never be fulfilled. His prolonged penance in the caves will all end in nothing. This is not Bhágavata Dharma.” (10)

The section below demarcated by asterisks is an entirely different topic,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Deafness Is Not A Disease

Baba says, “Deafness is not a disease by itself, unless it is congenital. It is an after-effect or reaction to some other ailment…Excessive use of quinine or similar poisonous medicines for a long time reduces the power of hearing.” (Yogic Treatments, p.43)

Note: The intake of allopathic medicines contributes significantly to deafness. One can see this reaction especially in the case of small kids. Their hearing can be significantly impaired or lost for life by administering strong and harmful allopathic medicines.
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Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:38:27
From: Tarakanath
To: am-global@earthlink.net
Subject: How To Deal With Day to Day Issues

Baba

This entire email is composed of 3 parts:
(1) Prabhat Samgiita #2288;
(2) Posting: How To Deal With Day to Day Issues
(3) Trailer Quote: Impossible For People to Accept It

Each section is demarcated by asterisks (***).

**** Here begins the Prabhat Samgiita ****

Baba

“Toma’ke ka’che peyeo cena’ da’y…” (PS 2288)

Purport:

O’ Parama Purusa, O’ my Dearmost, You are mine – You are very close to me. Baba, often I think that I have understood You completely; but when I contemplate more deeply I realise that I know not. To understand You fully, the unit mind must lose its individual identity. As long as one is cognizant of their own unit existence, then You cannot be realised. So, in spite of having You very close, it is still not possible for me to fully realise You. O’ Divine Entity, You are my very intimate and closest One: You smile softly and say You love me. Yet when I long for You and yearn to have You in a more intimate way, You are not coming that close. Then I think that I do not properly understand Your mind – Your desire. Otherwise surely You would come deep into the depths of my heart. Alas I do not know how to satisfy You completely.

O’ my Lord, just when I think I have completely understood You, and just when I think I have truly come to know You, i.e. Your ways and Your inner plans, then with Your divine liila You shower even more of Your divine love and I become restless to get You more and more close. Baba, I feel so much love for You in my heart that my eyes constantly rain and shower tears when I think of You. It is Your grace.

O’ Parama Purusa, due to Your infinite compassion I have understood that only You are the Essence. You alone are the Cosmic Nucleus of this vast universe. By Your grace I have forgotten all those transitory expressions. I no longer run after the ephemeral things of this mundane world. Baba, I have accepted the greatness of Your divine liila. I understand that Your liila cannot be understood. [1] Now I only think and sing: “O’ Lord, please forgive me for my lapses, wrongdoing and negative deeds. Please shower Your causeless grace on me.”

Baba, You can only be attained through surrender and love. O’ Lord please grace me; please fill me with Your divine compassion…

NOTES FOR PRABHAT SAMGIITA #2288:

[1] “Toma’r liila’y ha’r ma’niya’chi”: This phrase from the third stanza of the above Prabhat Samgiita is neatly represented by these below teachings.

“Surrender yourself to His will. Shake off your load of self-conceit. Lighten the burden of your life and float yourself on the waves of His will. It is He who is teaching you the sa’dhana’ in the guise of a Guru (preceptor); it is He who is strengthening your knowledge and faith in the guise of a philosopher. You are plundering His mercy in everything day and night. Go on working as a machine, leaving the doership to Him. How little can your poor intellect comprehend or analyse His unfathomable sport (liila’)! So, instead of trying to comprehend or analyse keep the bearing of that inscrutable juggler aglow before your eyes.” (Ananda Marga Ideology and Way of Life – 4)

“Parama Puruśa is beyond the scope of relativity. Why is He making the world dance? Why has He made Paramarasa-Samudra? The answer to this cannot be known in the world of causality. Why Paramátmá has done something has no answer because He is beyond the scope of causality. Hence that which is non-causal, that which is beyond the scope of causality is Liilá. Whatever Paramátmá does is Liilá, but what Jiiva does is Kriidá. The wise will do Kriidá in such a way as to adjust their waves with the waves of Liilá. They will not try to know why Liilámaya has done an action. They will simply try to know Liilámaya Himself. If you cannot know the cause of a trifling thing like dancing, how can you know the cause of the action of Liilámaya? Jiiva has a very small brain and a very small cranium. It is not possible for it to know the action of Liilámaya. Suppose someone is an MA in 20 subjects. If he or she is asked suddenly to appear in the MA examination, he will not pass – he will have to read again, then he will have to appear. This proves that the Jiiva fails even to succeed in its own Kriidá. So how can it understand the cause of the Liilá of Liilámaya? It cannot. The best approach is to love Him, is to join His party. If there is true love the Master Magician will certainly make you understand everything because the more the members of His party know, the more convenient it is for Him.” (Subhasita Samgraha – 19, Parama Puruśa)

== HOW TO DEAL WITH DAY TO DAY ISSUES ==

Namaskar,
Emotion plays a huge part in our human life. Without emotion, human beings do not take action, no matter how much knowledge they have.

For instance, some mothers may have all the facts and figures about the dangers of war, but will not actively protest against it until their own son is drafted into the army. Propelled by that emotional feeling, they will engage in all kinds of activities in order to stop the war.

Likewise, some people may be fully aware of the harmful effects of a meat-based diet, but will not give up meat until his doctor warns them about their high cholesterol levels and risk of a heart attack. Motivated by that emotional link that is their own life is at stake, then they quickly give up eating meat.

If you take a moment to think, I am sure you can come up with many examples where you have seen how people had adequate knowledge but did not act until they developed an emotional link with a particular issue or practice.

So emotion has a huge impact in our human activity. And that emotion can drive us in diametrically opposite directions.

Blind emotion will hasten one into all kinds of degrading vices and harmful dogmas; whereas emotion supported by rationality will thrust one forward onto the path of dharma.

There are so many present-day examples of how emotion shapes human activity: Everything from environmental disasters to taking tantric initiation, and in numerous other instances. In all such circumstances, emotion plays a critical role.

As Ananda Margiis, we should be pointedly aware of this, both in analysing our own actions and in understanding those of others.

EMOTION AND ITS ROLE IN ATROCITIES AGAINST HUMANITY

AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Part 1)

In real life events, people are swayed or apathetic due to their emotional attachment to the topic. That covers up their sense of rationality.

For example, some people have knowledge about so many atrocities on this earth. Years ago in the Vietnam war, American forces used “agent orange” or dioxin as a means of chemical warfare. Some reports estimate 19 million gallons was airdropped. Decades later still innocent Vietnamese families are suffering the effects of those past misdeeds, and the land became barren and devastated – some of it restricted. See the images for yourself on-line: Babies are born with two heads and no legs, the landscape has been permanently damaged- indeed thousands and thousands of gruesome tales can be told about the ill-effects of agent orange.

Yet the American public is mostly unmoved. Some or more have the knowledge that this was going on, but they are not emotionally attached with those events. Hence those tragedies remain mostly ignored. Those sufferers needed medical attention but the US government did not even consider that any injustice was done. So there was no question of compensation – neither in the form of medical care nor money.

A similar scene is unfolding today with regards to the drone attacks. US forces have killed thousands of innocent citizens and youths throughout Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, & Afghanistan – and other places – yet the general American populace is mostly unaffected by such events. But when a few innocent teenagers in the US are killed due to gang violence it becomes national news and there are protests in cities across the country. Both cases are tragedies – the killings innocent youths by drone attacks and the murdering of teenagers – but the first is mostly overlooked while the second is mourned by many.

EMOTION AND ITS ROLE IN ATROCITIES AGAINST HUMANITY

AND THE ENVIRONMENT (Part 2)

Below are more examples of how emotion gets misused in society – it becomes a blind force that allows people to both unleash terror and overlook horror.

It should be noted that, there are positive ways that emotion is used and that will be outlined further down in this letter.

1. At present, terrorists groups rely on blind emotion to recruit youths and sympathetic supporters to commit all sorts of crimes like car bombings, machine gun attacks, and other heinous crimes. Those youths lose their rationality and are just stirred up into an emotional fervor wherein they will do anything, fully blinded by their emotions.

2. In the west, bound by their blind emotion, some people spend huge money on their pets and will even kiss their cat or dog; they talk and share their feelings with their dog. They are extremely emotionally attached. Yet they will overlook the cries of starving humanity. Devoid of any rational approach, some can overlook the pain of a suffering child or fallen man, but they will give their wholehearted love and attention to their cat.

3. Similarly, some people will watch after their pets with extreme care yet when it comes time to sit down for dinner, they will cut into a steak (slaughtered cow) without any hesitation. Their lack of rationality and emotional attachment allows them to indulge in such duplicitous behaviour.

4. In our Ananda Marga, there are various ways in which emotion blinds people – especially in the case of our present group clashes. A few get attached with a particular group or leader and then justify all the misdeeds of that group.

Thus, emotion by itself is a blind force and is bound to lead humanity down the wrong road. When emotion is moving in haphazard way – i.e. devoid of rationality – then so many degrading and dogmatic things will occur.

Whereas when emotion is supported by rationality then great works can be done.

EMOTION AS A POSITIVE FORCE

Emotion can also be used in a positive manner when in coordination with rationality.

When a person thinks, “I should do something – I should follow dharma”, and when this is done with their emotional force, then good things happen.

For instance, many have entered Ananda Marga and taken diiksa based on this emotional propulsion guided by rationality. In the same way, others have served as LFT’s, WT’s, etc. Without that emotional-cum-rational feeling they would not have been moved into action. They may have had knowledge of Ananda Marga and dharma, but without that close emotional and rational link they would not have done anything.

So in these positive cases, one’s emotional flow is not haphazard, rather it is guided by rationality.

Similarly, with their emotional and rational attachment to Baba, i.e. devotion to Baba, many have given their lives for the great cause and others have stood up to fight dogma and oppose injustice. Even they have given up all their friends and faced all kinds of opposition due to their emotional-cum-rational attachment to Baba’s teachings.

So emotion need not always be a liability. When linked with rationality it can lift one onto the field of dharma.

SUMMARY

So long as one’s emotions are not guided by rationality, regardless of how well educated a person may be, there are bound to be problems – problems of epic proportions. This is one aspect.

Second, even if people have knowledge, they will not do anything until they have an emotional link to the situation at hand. If that emotional link is blind they will fall prey to dogma and misdeeds and if combined with rationality that person can do great things for humanity.

Third, emotion should always be guided by a mind open in 360 degrees, and not be linked with any selfishness or group agenda.

Fourth, because of emotion, people often do not do what they should do, or do what they should not do. So it is a tricky force. Even educated people commonly fall into this trap. Here is an example to make this clear.

Suppose someone goes to the shopping mall or market to buy some food. Yet while they are there they see a pair of shoes. They had no plan or real need to buy shoes. Yet they are enticed by the shine of the shoes and without considering their financial position or whether they really need another pair of shoes, that person purchases the shoes. There is no calculation or rational thought process behind the purchase per se – just it was done on a whim. This type of impulsive shopping is a classic case of emotion or blind emotion – devoid of rationality.

In contrast, if one goes to the shopping mall and buys or does not buy shoes based strictly on if there is a need or not, then that is rationality.

Fifth, the only answer is neo-humanistic education and Ananda Marga spiritual practices. Buoyed by these rational and devotional forces, one’s emotional feeling will be used in solely for positive endeavours.

Finally, when standing alone the emotional mind moves towards dogma and when guided by rationality that mind becomes a strong and dharmic force.

ALSO HAPPENS WITH FICTIONAL AND IMAGINARY CHARACTERS

The Juliet story posted earlier this week- wherein people share their heartfelt feelings due to their emotional link with a fictitious character – is but an example of how blind the human personae can become when goaded haphazardly by emotion.

Why does this happen? Currently in the west, although, much of the population is literate and educated in the worldly sense, many, many fall into various dogmas due to their emotional attachment.

For instance, romance is a huge aspect of life in the materialistic nations. With crude romance comes heartbreak – for any number of reasons. Today, many of the people who have been heartbroken or hurt in a romantic relationship are now sharing their woes with Juliet – as if Juliet can empathize and solve their problems.

Juliet is one of the main fictitious characters in Shakespeare’s tragedy: “Romeo and Juliet”. In that drama, written 450+ years ago, the young couple in love are embattled by family disputes and ultimately die a most tragic death, without ever being able to express their love for one another. It is the quintessential tragedy of western literature. And it is completely fictional – these characters are 100% imaginary – Mr. Shakespeare merely invented them in his own mind.

Yet today, a Juliet website has been devised, and people from far and wide write in seeking solace about their romantic woes. Because of their deep emotional link with the female character Juliet – who never even existed in real life – people are writing to Juliet and pouring their heart. If they deem their romance to be similar in any way to that of Romeo and Juliet – i.e. if they are getting tormented by friends and family – then they write to Juliet and ask for her grace and promise that, “Just as you died for your lover, I shall do the same.” Juliet does not even exist, yet out of emotion they are taking this fictional character to be their guide.

“Since the 1930s, letters addressed to Juliet keep arriving in Verona – and a statue was erected there as well. As of 2010, more than 5,000 letters are received annually, three quarters of which are from women. The largest single group of senders are American teenagers.” (Wikipedia)

So this form of idol worship in the west is becoming more popular yet we should remember that it is based on 100% fictitious characters like Juliet.

It is just like if Indian people started writing to Laela’.

Such are the ways of emotional attachment. The people have the knowledge that such characters are purely fictional, but out of emotion they are drawn to them in such a poignant manner.

BABA’S GUIDELINE

Baba has graciously blessed us with all the proper teachings to succeed in life and not be blinded by the haphazard flow of emotion. We should all take proper care to ensure we are always moving along the methodical path of emotion known as devotion. Then great works can and will be done on this earth and the sadhaka will attain the Supreme stance.

“Now, even those who are advocates of devotional or emotional faculties say that people get propensive propulsion from devotion or emotion. When the mind moves along a particular track or follows a particular discipline in a methodical way, this is called “devotion” or bhakti; but when it does not follow a particular method, when it moves haphazardly, swept away by whim, it is called “emotion”. This is the fundamental difference between devotion and emotion. You must know this clear-cut silver line of demarcation between devotion and emotion.” (2)

“Those who adhere to this cult of pinnacled order know that there must be a happy blending amongst intellectual-cum-intuitional faculty, actional faculty and devotional-cum-emotional faculty. None of these is unimportant, all are of equal importance, but the finality comes in devotion. That is, the final outcome or resultant of intellectual-cum-intuitional faculty and actional faculty is devotion, not emotion.” (3)

“If one wants to realize an entity, does one realize it only through knowledge? No, certainly not. To realize an entity, one must possess a loving heart, a sweet intellect, and a free flow of emotion (attached with spirituality)…I said a little earlier that by merging one’s individual sweetness into the sweetest entity, the realization, “You exist, only You exist,” becomes firmly established. One becomes finally ensconced in that Supreme Entity. There is no other way. And this self-knowledge is the sweetest essence of the devotional feeling of one’s heart.” (4)

The sections below demarcated by asterisks are entirely different topics,
completely unrelated to the above letter. It stands on its own as a point of interest.

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Impossible for People to Accept It

“If anybody tries to re-establish an old political, economic or religious theory of two thousand years ago – a theory or ism based on past time, space or person – using whatever type of psychology, sentiment or adroit propaganda, it will not be possible to correlate it with the existing physical waves. Once lost the parallelism between the ism and the physical wave cannot be restored, even if the old mental environment is re-created. We perceive the change not only in the physical wave but also in the mental wave. No amount of scientific effort will make it possible to restore the mental wave of the past. There was a time when kings were worshipped as the incarnations of God, but today if anybody tries to reintroduce this antiquated practice using psychological propaganda, it will be impossible for people to accept it.” (Prout in a Nutshell – 4)

Note: Here are a few examples of Baba’s above guideline.

(A) Certain Islamic fundamentalists want to implement 1500 year-old tenets in areas where they presently rule. This is evidenced by their application of the Islamic justice system where they employ antiquated punishments like chopping off a person’s hand for stealing and beheading “guilty” persons in public. Such punishments are based on Islamic law. But, no matter how hard they try to implement such laws, it is impossible for them to gain success in this 21st century. The public will never appreciate this.

(B) In the same way, Hindu fundamentalists and those believers of caste still want to follow caste distinctions and the use of the sacred hair etc. But now the general populace is fast giving up caste such divisions and they are not going to follow them again.

(C) Fundamentalist Christians want to implement social rules of Bible, when already the common people have advanced beyond such codes.

(D) White supremacists want to forcibly impose racial supremacy. But here again the common people are not inclined in this manner.

In all such cases, implementing these outdated doctrines is no longer possible; the general mass will never appreciate such rules and restrictions. They will never be implemented.

Why is this impossible? Because time, space, and person have changed; that era is gone. That old philosophy is unsuitable for this present era.

For this reason, there is the understanding and guideline that some aspects of Caryacarya will be changed in the future – according to the need of that era.

For example, if the number of boys are 1/4 the number of girls, then one male may have many wives, or vice-versa.
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